Juventus slapped with fines and bans after ref rant

28 January 2013 06:59

Champions Juventus were handed a series of bans and fines by Serie A league officials on Monday for displaying aggressive behaviour to a match referee who refused to award a late penalty.

Juve coach Antonio Conte was handed a two-game touchline ban and handed a 10,000 euro fine while the club was fined 50,000 euros for failing to control fans who spat on and lashed out at the match officials.

Juve president Giuseppe Marotta was also banned from carrying out any of his functions until February 18.

Defenders Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini, meanwhile, were handed two and one-game bans respectivel,y accompanied by fines of 10,000 and 5,000 euros.

Both sanctions related to their aggressive behaviour towards the referee at the end of the match.

A statement by Serie A's disciplinary body said: "Juventus are fined 50,000 euros for failing to control fans who spat in the faces and on the clothes of officials as they left the pitch."

Regarding Conte's ban, it added: "Conte is banned for two matches for having confronted the referee in an intimidatory manner on the field of play and questioning his decision with a series of derogatory remarks."

Conte and the entire Juventus team were in uproar at the end of Saturday's match after referee Marco Giuda refused to award a last-minute penalty despite the ball coming off the arm of Genoa's Swedish defender Andreas Granqvist.

The match finished 1-1 and although the Bianconeri are still top of the league with a three-point lead on Napoli, the champions have refused to calm the tone of their criticism of Guida.

On Juventus's official website on Sunday Marotta hit out at the fact the referee originates from near Naples.

"Making him officiate Juve isn't putting him in the best possible conditions. Furthermore, I ask myself what is the point of having six officials if the referee and goal-line official are not on the same wavelength?" he said.

Marotta was effectively suspended from his role as Juve president until February 18 for "challenging, at the end of the match, the match officials in an intimidating and insulting manner, in their dressing room."

Conte and Bonucci will now sit out the next two Serie A games, away to Chievo next week and at home to Fiorentina on February 9, while Chiellini will miss the first of those games.